Feels like Family
by jellaltrinity
Summary: Natsu begins to realize that he might like Lucy more that a friend, but a wife! Natsu decides to seek advice but is Mira really the best person to go to? How does Lucy feel about this and will Happy be able to bring this unusual "family" together? A nalu fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy tail it belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

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><p><span>Feels like family<span>

"Luuuccyy!"

"Natsu? Its 3am! What are you doing here?" complained a disgruntled Lucy as she crawled out from underneath the bed sheets.

"It's happy! He was fine yesterday but this morning he just started acting all sick! Lucy, please help happy!" Natsu exclaimed with a mixture of panic and fear on his face. Lucy looked down and noticed the bundle of blue fur in Natsu's arms. She could see that he was sweating a lot and his breathing was shallow. Even on his blue fur she could see that his face was flushed. All traces of sleep were suddenly gone from Lucy as she had a serious expression on her face.

"Natsu, lay happy down on my bed. I'm going to get a cold towel." Lucy said calmly but you could see on her face that she was worried for happy but she knew she needed to keep Natsu calm. Seconds later Lucy came back with a cold towel and some medicine that should bring down Happy's fever slightly.

Natsu could only watch as Lucy cared for his blue furred friend. He had been in such a panic that Lucy was the first person he could think of. Even so he didn't regret bringing him to Lucy. He was pretty surprised that Lucy didn't protest or question why he had brought Happy to her. Instead she got straight to work and did everything she could, despite having just been woken up at 3 in the morning. He then heard a croaky voice coming from the bed. "Lucy?" Happy questioned as his eyes fluttered open to see the celestial mage.

"It's okay Happy. I'm here and so is Natsu. I promise I won't leave your side until you get better. Now, you need some rest okay?" Lucy said gently as she held Happy's paw in her hand with the most gentle and caring look in her eyes.

"Lucy? Can you sing me a lullaby?" Happy asked hopefully as he looked up at the blonde. "Of course." Lucy said softly with a sweet smile on her face.

Natsu's eyes widened at the scene between his two partners. This was nothing like the scenes he was used to between them, the teasing and the chasing. No this looked like a mother caring for her child. He was shocked to say the least. He never knew Lucy had a side like this. _"it's like we're a family. Lucy's the mom, I'm the dad and Happy's our son."_ Natsu thought as he watched the two with a content smile on his face. Then realising what he had just thought he started blushing like crazy. _"That would make Lucy my wife! How could I think of something like that?" _An image of a young girl with pink hair and chocolate brown eyes suddenly appeared in his mind. _"This is bad! I did not just think of our future child! Maybe future children…. No, bad Natsu!"_ Natsu sat there lost in his thoughts as he yanked at his hair until he heard a beautiful voice.

He looked over to see Lucy singing to happy with the softest and sweetest voice he'd ever heard and because of this he couldn't stop the blush spreading across his cheeks as he listened to her voice. It was a simple lullaby he'd heard before but couldn't remember the words. As she sang he felt his eyes threatening to close. He wanted to keep the promise that Lucy made to Happy but a wave of tiredness washed over him and fell asleep at the end of the bed.

Lucy watched with a smile and let out a small giggle as she saw Natsu sound asleep at the end of the bed. _"I guess all that worrying must have worn him out."_ She thought as she watched his chest rise and fall. Lucy then got up to make herself a cup of tea knowing she wouldn't be going back to sleep. She made a promise to Happy and as a celestial mage she intended to keep it.

It was later in the morning and Lucy could feel her eyes threatening to close. She had changed the towel on Happy's head a couple of times through the night to keep him cool and he looked to be feeling a little better. His breathing was more regulated and he was no longer burning up. By this time most of Magnolia residents were starting to wake up yet Natsu was still sound asleep. As Lucy got up to make herself another cup of tea she heard a groan coming from the bed. She turned around to see Happy starting to stir. "Lucy!" Happy cried. Lucy hurried over to Happy and gave him a hug. "Happy I'm so glad you're okay! Natsu and I were so worried about you!" Lucy exclaimed. "Thanks for taking care of me. Nice bed head!" Happy said while covering his mouth with his paw, trying to suppress a giggle."It's good to see you're back to normal." Lucy said with a smile on her face and rolled her eyes as she turned her attention to Natsu. Lucy noticed that Natsu was still asleep she was about to wake him up until she came up with a devious plan. Lucy looked over to Happy who had just flown over to rest on her shoulder and noticed he was wearing the same expression." You thinking what I'm thinking Happy?" Lucy asked pulling out a black marker. "Aye sir!" Happy replied also pulling out a black marker. Lucy and Happy laughed evilly as they made their way over to Natsu being careful not to wake him up.

An hour later Natsu woke up to find the place empty and guessed Happy was feeling better and went with Lucy to the guild. As Natsu got up and stretched he remembered last night and could feel himself blush. Cursing to himself Natsu headed off to the guild.

As Natsu walked through the streets of Magnolia he saw people staring at him with strange looks on their faces. Natsu just shrugged this off as he put his hand behind his back and continued walking. When Natsu got to the guild he kicked the doors open like he usually did and greeted the guild. When he realized no one had greeted him back he looked around the guild. Even the guild members were looking at him weirdly. Natsu was about to ask why until he heard snickering coming from the bar. His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when he saw who it was. Happy and Lucy were snickering and giving each other high fives. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Gray who was laughing and clutching his stomach. "What's up with your face, flame brain?" Gray managed to say before he started laughing again. Natsu was about to start a fight with Gray for calling him a flame brain until he realized what Gray had said. _"My face?"_ Natsu wondered as he started touching his face. "Here, Natsu." Mira said as she brought him over a mirror but Natsu could tell that even Mira was trying to hold in her laughter. As Natsu looked in the mirror his eyes widened. There was a mustache, glasses and lots of shapes and swirls as well as, for some reason, a fish drawn on his face in black marker. His eyes suddenly narrowed as he remembered the snickering duo sitting at the bar. As he turned to look at them Happy and Lucy stopped snickering and their eyes went wide. As they realized what was going to happen to them the pair took off running, and in Happy's case flying, out of the guilds doors while being chased by and angry shouting Natsu.

When Natsu caught up he grabbed Lucy and laughed as she squired, trying to get free. "Alright, alright you got me. How about I treat you to Lunch to say sorry?" Natsu's eyes lit up at the mention of food and this made Lucy giggle. While Natsu was thinking of all the delicious food he would get to eat he didn't notice Lucy's face right up close in front of his. He only notice when he felt her breath across his lips which caused him to shiver. Natsu felt his eyes slowly close and his heart was beating so loud he was sure Lucy could hear it. He couldn't help the imminent blush that rose to his cheeks as he waited expectantly. Meanwhile, his mind had kicked into overdrive. Hundreds of thoughts flitted through his mind as he wondered what it would be like to kiss Lucy. Then he started to panic. He didn't know how to kiss. Would Lucy hate him for that? His thoughts were cut off by a cold wet sensation on his cheek then nose then forehead. As his eyes fluttered open he saw Lucy wiping his face with a wet towel. "It's not going to hurt you Natsu so there's no need to close your eyes." Lucy told him with a small giggle. Natsu's face suddenly turned red. How stupid could he be thinking that Lucy was going to kiss him? Natsu was really confused. _"Did I want Luce to kiss me?" _Natsu wondered as he looked into Lucy's eyes which caused him to start blushing again. "Your face is all red. Do you have a fever?" Lucy asked, her voice laced with concern as she rested her forehead against his. This only resulted in more blushing front Natsu who couldn't even form real words as he was reduced to a stuttering, blushing fool in front of the blonde. "He liiiikes you!" Happy said as he covered his mouth with his paw, trying to muffle his laughter. "Shut up Happy!" Natsu shouted as his blush intensified. He then looked over to Lucy who had surprisingly remained quiet and was shocked, and secretly happy, to see that her cheeks were slightly pink as she looked away. "Well let's go get some food then." She said but didn't turn around to face them. Natsu and Happy followed her. Natsu stayed silent as he was really confused about what he was feeling and wanted to know as soon as possible. Natsu decided that after Lunch he would head to the guild. After all, he was going to need all the help he could get.

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><p><strong>Authors note: Sorry im not giving you a nalu kiss yet! Natsu needs to figure out his feeling first. Happy will be quite important in this story as he will help bring their "family" together. It will probably be Mirajane giving Natsu advice though. Thank you for reading!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fairy tail. It belong to Hiro Mashima.****

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

"Natsu, what's wrong? You haven't said anything since you ordered your food, which was not even a quarter of what you usually eat!" asked the celestial mage who was starting to get worried about the dragon slayer's unusual behaviour. This caused the dragon slayer to lift his head up from staring at his food intently, as if it would provide him with his much needed answers. "Just thinking…" replied the somewhat subdued dragon slayer, now causing Happy to stop munching on his fish and look up with a face of confusion and curiosity. Happy had never seen Natsu act this way before and couldn't quite identify how he might be feeling. It had always been obvious to Happy when Natsu was happy, sad or angry, but seeing Natsu so deep in thought that he would refuse a free meal from their partner was very strange and very new, leaving Happy very confused. "Hey. Why don't we take a mission! It might make you feel a bit better after bashing some heads am I right? Plus my rent is due so its win-win. You can pick a job Natsu while I go pack then I'll meet you at the guild." The blonde said with a grin on her face, then without leaving time for Natsu to reply she was already running down the street to her apartment. "Happy, can you go pack our stuff and then bring it to the guild?" asked Natsu as he slowly got up after leaving most of his food. A quick "Aye sir!" let Natsu know that the packing would be taken care of. As Natsu walked to the guild he was wondering which guild member would be the best person to ask for advice. He decided Gray was definitely out, he would rather ride the train than ask his rival for advice, who would probably make him look like an idiot. Erza would just be too awkward, Wendy was too young and would probably just blush the whole time. After listing the guild members in his head he decided that none would be able to give him good advice. The dragon slayer felt utterly defeated as he dragged his feet through the guild hall, ignoring the shouts of the other members as he passed them. Natsu then collapsed his head on the bar and sighed. "You look like Lucy when you do that you know?" said a voice from behind the bar followed by a giggle. Natsu looked up to see Mirajane looking down at him with amusement and curiosity as she cleaned one of the glasses. Then, all of a sudden Natsu jumped out of his seat, surprising the barmaid as his trademark grin returned to his face. "Mira, I need your help." Natsu said as his face became serious. Mira was feeling slightly worried about the quick shift in the dragon slayers expression but was also filled with curiosity. She wondered what Natsu needed help with as he often didn't ask for it, especially from herself. "What is it Natsu?" Mira asked as she watched Natsu's cheeks turn slightly pink as he drew in a deep breath, about to tell Mira about Lucy. That is until the mage in question bursts throught the door. Natsu's head whirled around to see the blonde headed his way, wearing something that he never would have thought she'd wear. He'd always thought of Lucy to be quite a girly girl who wore miniskirts and liked thinks that were pink and cute. That is why he didn't expect Lucy to arrive wearing jeans, combat boots, a plain top and her hair was in a high ponytail. Her belt still attached to her waist with her keys and whip. Natsu must have figured he looked like a fish, sitting with his mouth wide open as he stared at her. He could faintly hear giggling from Mira in the background but he couldn't look away. This sudden change left him shocked as his eyes were glued to hear. He also noticed she wasn't rolling along her suitcase, but was instead, carrying a backpack. He was wordering why she was dressed this way until he realised what she had told him earlier. Natsu reckoned she had expected him to pick up a job to defeat some bandits so she dressed appropriately for the mission, which was not like Lucy. Lucy was the girl who wore miniskirts on frozen mountains, she didn't care if it was unpractical as long as it was in fashion, but now here she was in jeans and a top. Natsu wasn't even aware that she owned a pair of jeans. "Natsu!" this call snapped him out of his trance as he looked up to be greeted by the face of a very annoyed blonde. "You haven't even picked a mission yet Natsu, have you?" a hesitant shake of the head from the sheepish looking dragon slayer, who just realised he had been openly staring at Lucy, confirmed the blonde's suspicions as she huffed then stomped over to the board, scanning it for a mission.

Natsu let out a sigh as he turned back around to face the bar, only to be met by Mira squealing something about "weddings" and "33 nalu babies" or something like that. Mira then smirked at him causing Natsu to shudder. He'd seen that look before and Natsu did not want her going all satan soul on him again. "Natsu, doesn't Lucy look pretty today?" Mira asked Natsu in a sickly sweet voice that promised a world of pain for him if he didn't give the answer she wanted. "Y-yeah." Natsu said as quickly glanced over at the celestial mage. Mira noticed the pink tinge on his cheeks and let out a smirk."But then again, she looks pretty every day, doesn't she Natsu?" Mira asked in the same tone of voice as she did before. She was trying not to smirk as she Natsu blush again as he stuttered the same response. As Natsu was looking down at the floor, poking his index fingers together and mumbling incoherent things to himself with a slight blush on his face, Mira noticed Lucy was walking over after having picked a mission and had a devious idea. Mira resumed to cleaning the glasses while Natsu remained completely oblivious to Mira's plan. "Hey Mira, could you put down that Natsu, Happy and I will be going on this mission?" The blonde asked as she reached the bar. "Of course Lucy, by the way, you look nice today." Mira said with a smile on her face as she watched Lucy's cheeks turn slightly pink from the compliment. "Actually, Natsu and I were just talking about how you looked today. What was it you told me Natsu?" Mira asked innocently while she tapped her chin as if trying to remember when in actual fact she was fighting off a smirk that was trying to creep its way onto her face.

Natsu's head shot up at this as he was met with curious eyes from Lucy and a smirk from Mira. Natsu cursed Mira in his mind for putting him in to this situation. "Well Natsu?" Lucy asked. Natsu mumbled something as his blush intensified only for Lucy to lean in closer. "Sorry Natsu, I didn't quite catch that, do you mind repeating it for me?" Lucy asked with a soft smile. Natsu then looked Lucy in the eyes and felt his breath hitch. "You look pretty today." Natsu breathed. Lucy, shocked by this, blushed furiously as she poked her index fingers and looked down at the floor, just as Natsu had been doing moments before. Mira wasn't going let the pair off yet though. "Oh yes, that was it! That wasn't all you told me though was there Natsu?" Mira asked the flustered dragon slayer, barely being able to stop herself from smirking as she watched Natsu stiffen.

Natsu went rigid after hearing what Mira had said. He knew what he was about to say would get him a Lucy kick to the head but the look in Mira's eyes said he didn't have a choice. As Natsu looked up at Lucy he felt his stomach flip as he saw the obvious blush on her face. He didn't know why but with renewed determination he looked Lucy straight in the eyes. "You look pretty every day Luce." Natsu told her as he watched her entire face turn a colour that would rival Erza's hair. He saw her hands clasp in front of her chest as he saw a look in her eyes he'd never seen before but it made stomach do flips again and he felt really light and happy. Mira started squealing again but he paid no attention as his attention was focused on Lucy. So much so that he didn't notice a blue blur fly into him with his backpack. Natsu was about to have a go at Happy for flying into him until the exceed started snickering. Natsu's eyes widened as he realized Happy had probably seen the end of his conversation with Lucy. Before he was able to stop him though Happy was already flying around their heads shouting "He liiiikes you!" Lucy was still in a daze so was unable to yell at him but Natsu chased after him, yelling for him to stop. Mira smirked at the scene, Natsu usually just waved off Happy's teasing while Lucy chased the exceed. Mira reckoned that Natsu was finally figuring out his feeling for Lucy but doesn't really know what they are yet. Mira decided that she was going to help Natsu realise his feelings. _"Otherwise I'll never get my 33 Nalu babies." _Mira thought wistfully as she continued to watch the scene with amusement in her eyes. She then watched Natsu return to Lucy's side, cheeks still pink, as they picked up their stuff and headed out to go do their mission. Mirajane's smirk then returned as she watched Natsu walk a little closer than necessary to the blonde, bumping her shoulder or brushing her hand every now and then as they walked down the road until they were out of sight. Mira shifted her attention from the open guild doors back to the bar where Macao was asking for beer. As Mira hurried off to get the beer she couldn't help but think about the pair that had just left as she gave a smirk that would send shivers down any ones spine. _"Operation Nalu is set in motion."_

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><p><strong>Author's note: Happy wasn't in this chapter very much but there will be more of him in the next chapter! Mira has been introduced now and she's got a plan, i might have people help her, who knows? The next chapter will be about the job they take. If Natsu seemed a bit OOC with all his blushing that's because this is knew to him and he's quite child like so he's bound to be confused. I made Mira smirk a lot though, I bet her face hurts now! Anyway, thanks for reading and all your reviews, I really appreciate it!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own fairy tail. It belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

"Umm, Natsu. Why are you staring at me?" Natsu heard a slightly nervous voice ask as he was snapped out of his trance by the very person who had occupied his thoughts. Natsu looked up with slight surprise and noticed that he had, in fact been staring at the face of a slightly pink Lucy, more specifically her lips. Natsu's face flushed at the thought of Lucy realising he had been staring at her lips so he quickly racked his brains for a way to change the topic.

"Hey Lucy, what kind of mission did you pick for us." came a voice from above Natsu's head as he just noticed Happy was flying above them. Natsu sent a grateful look a Happy as he let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. Lucy then pulled out a folded piece of paper from her pocket which, Natsu realised was the mission sheet after she'd unfolded it. "A group of bandits have been causing havoc in Hosenka, particularly to unsuspecting tourists. The mayor's pretty desperate for help by the looks of the reward. Apparently these aren't just your average group of bandits though. It seems they are able to use magic but it shouldn't be a problem. Rent money here we come!" Lucy told Natsu and Happy as she showed them the flier.

As Lucy cheered about getting rent money Natsu couldn't help but feel suspicious about the mission. They had caught bandits with magic before with no problem but the reward seemed too high for the job. As Natsu began to wonder about the job he saw Happy flying around Lucy, who was still thrilled about getting rent money, cheering about being able to buy a gift for Carla, which would most probably be fish. Natsu smiled at the pair as he dismissed his suspicion, they would get the job done without a problem, perhaps breaking a few buildings here and there, then head home, just like the always had done. "I see Hosenka, c'mon were almost there!" Lucy cheered as she ran ahead with Happy flying by her side. Natsu laughed then took off after them which started a race between them to get to the town.

After they had got to the outskirts of the town, Natsu and Lucy were left huffing and puffing as Happy had easily beaten them with his max speed. Once they had caught their breath they went looking for the town hall. Luckily for them it was located in the middle of town and wasn't hard to spot, it being bigger than the surrounding buildings. Once the trio had met with the mayor he gave them more information about the job at hand. "You see, some of the locals were passing the warehouse district one night after finishing a late shift and heard shouting coming from inside. They had suspected the bandits were there but were too afraid to go any further so they quickly left." The three listened as the mayor told them this information, giving them insight to the possible whereabouts of the bandits. "Unfortunately, we don't know the magical capabilities of these bandits as the other wizards who took the job couldn't remember a thing." This caused their eyes to widen as Natsu and Lucy exchanged knowing glances. They hadn't been told there were other wizards who had taken this job before. The mayor had then told them that he was sorry that he was not able to provide them with any more information.

"Before you go, I made reservations for you at Hosenka's must popular inn, known for its wonderful hot springs." The mayor said to them with a very commercial smile. Lucy rolled her eyes as she looked at Natsu with a smile. He knew what she meant though. They were on a mission, not vacation. Natsu then grinned back at Lucy as the two excused themselves in order to find the inn.

As Lucy and Natsu walked through the town she carried a sleeping Happy in her arms. She smiled down at the exceed in her arms and expected that all the travelling today had worn him out. Natsu looked over to find Lucy carrying Happy, shifting him in her arms to make the sleeping exceed more comfortable. He couldn't help but remember the night Lucy took care of Happy and she treated him like her son. Natsu knew he was blushing and mentally kicked himself for thinking about that again as he was just beginning to forget.

As if Happy had sensed Natsu's blush he woke up with a yawn, stretching his arms and rubbing his eyes with his paws. Happy felt strangely comfortable and didn't really want to move. He looked up to find Lucy smiling at him and then realised he had fallen asleep in her arms. Happy felt a little bad for making her carry him around so he decided he'd start flying again. Just as he was about to move he was pushed back down gently by Lucy, who then proceeded to rub his head. Happy looked over to find Natsu blushing and staring at Lucy with an expression he had rarely seen in the dragon slayer before. It was fondness, Happy had seen it when he talked about Igneel as he reminisced his days with the fire dragon. However, it had never been to this extent. He was surprised Lucy hadn't noticed Natsu's gaze as Happy could sense it with his back turned and eyes closed, the gaze and fondness wasn't even directed at him! Happy could sense something else thought that worried him. He could tell that Natsu also felt conflicted with his emotions. On one hand Natsu liked the normality and ease of their friendship, but at the same time, Happy could tell he desired more than that. Happy's lips suddenly curved up into a smirk, which went unnoticed by the pair.

He wanted Lucy as a mum; he remembered how she had stayed up all night to take care of him, even though he was ill. He also knew that Natsu wanted her as his wife. "He should really learn to stop sleep talking. It's always something about Lucy though so it's a start." The exceed thought as he remembered some of the things Natsu had said about Lucy in his dreams. Happy felt himself smile at the thought that Natsu's subconscious was smarter than he was. Happy then decided to nap until they reached the room as he fell asleep dreaming about Lucy cleaning their house after wishing them luck on their fishing trip, promising to cook Natsu and Happy a nice meal when they got back.

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><p><strong>Author's note: I would have wrote a bit about the actual job but i wanted Happy to have a say in this because he probably knows both of them best. Happy spends the most time with them and while Mira may be a love expert Happy knows them the best. Next chapter will have a little bit of Happy playing matchmaker at the beginning then the actual mission with the bandits. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy tail. It belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

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><p><span>Chapter 4<span>

Happy sniffed the air around, eyes still closed and not wanting to move until he smelled his favourite food."Fish!" the exceed cried as he launched himself at the fish on the table.

"You were still asleep when we reached the room and we didn't feel like waking you up so we grabbed some food for ourselves on the way here." Lucy told him as she had taken to unwrapping a sandwich for herself to eat. Happy then noticed the huge pile of food on the table which was rapidly decreasing as Natsu ate like he hadn't in days, which in reality had only been a few hours. Natsu paused as he glanced over at Happy who was currently digging into his fish.

"After we've eaten we gotta figure out how to get rid of these bandits, alright Happy, Luce?" Natsu told the pair. Lucy nodded her head in agreement as she continued to eat while Happy responded cheerfully with his trademark "Aye sir!"

As Natsu rubbed his stomach, content with the huge meal he had just eaten he looked over to find that both Lucy and Happy had finished their food and decided it would be a good time to form a plan to fight these bandits. "So, how do you wanna do this?" he asked as he looked over at his partners.

"Well from what we've been told, it seems that the bandits are only ever at the warehouses at night. So it seem seems logical to head down there in a couple hours or so. Just what to do from there…." Lucy trailed of as she tapped her chin, deep in thought. Happy, feeling slightly bored, decided to put his earlier plan in process.

"Hey Lucy, why don't you use your sex appeal?" Happy asked feigning curiosity as he tried to hold back his laughter. Happy could only imagine his partners reaction and could be sure it would be nothing short of entertaining. The blonde in question stared incredulously at her blue furred partner, unaware of the pink tinge on Natsu's cheeks.

"Aren't you always saying it doesn't work? Besides I think this job requires a little more than that." She told Happy sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head at the mere thought of it. Happy thought it was a miracle that he had managed to hold back his laughter at this comment from the blonde but was looking forward to the reaction he'd receive at the end.

"Really? Oh well you can still use it anyway. I know someone who thinks it works well." Happy said, and felt the need to smirk as her expression changed into one of confusion, then curiosity.

"Who's this Happy?" Lucy asked, completely oblivious to the smirk creeping its way onto Happy's face. Natsu had noticed it though, but by the time he had put two and two together it was too late.

"Natsu, of course! He especially loves seeing you in your maid costume. He was saying that in his sleep. I guess Natsu really wants you to clean our house Lucy!" the exceed cheerfully remarked knowing full well that wasn't the reason but deciding playing dumb was probably best if he wanted to avoid a Lucy kick. He smirked as he watched his partners turn bright red. Natsu tried to calm down Lucy but couldn't even form coherent words. Lucy stayed silent but avoided eye contact with Natsu by looking anywhere else. Unfortunately for them, except Happy who was getting a real kick out of the situation, Natsu's constant flailing around caused him to land on top of Lucy in a very compromising position. Having been standing next to the pile of empty food containers while trying to calm down Lucy, even though he was more frantic, the constant flailing caused him to slip on them and land face first into Lucy's breasts.

Lucy was mortified and her face turned a darker shade of red. Natsu, sensing the imminent Lucy kick he was bound to receive, was blushing madly, stuttering out an apology as he tried to climb of his partner. However, luck wasn't on Natsu's side that day as he ended up accidentally groping her in the process. "LUUUUCY KICK!" was heard throughout the town, followed by a large thump.

As the pair, followed by a snickering Happy walked through the town Natsu could be seen with a large bump on his head a blush still remaining on his cheeks as he apologized over and over, practically begging for forgiveness from his partner who also had a blush on her cheeks as she hugged her chest self-consciously. " I am so so so so sorry Luce!" Natsu pleaded as he walked alongside his partner.

"It's fine. It was just an accident right?" the blonde said with a nervous smile, glancing at the dragon slayer before walking slightly ahead. Natsu's shoulder's drooped at this. He realized that as being a sign that she wanted to be left alone, even if he hadn't it had been obvious. Natsu let out a sigh as he realized how awkward it had become between them now. He knew that they could both get over their current situation which was slightly reassuring, but, if she ever found out his feelings, those of which even he couldn't understand yet, he knew things could never go back to the way they were. He saw Happy shoot him a small, sympathetic smile; he was probably feeling bad about it.

"After this job I'm going to speak to Mira. She'll know what to do." Happy thought determinedly as he looked between the two and flinched slightly at Natsu's gloomy state which was almost suffocating. Happy knew this wasn't going to be easy but seeing Lucy relax slightly made Natsu cheer up a bit, this made Happy think it wasn't impossible. Happy smirked at the idea of getting his partners together. "Operation Nalu is set in motion."

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><p><strong>Author's note: Sorry about the long time before this update but i really appreciate all the reviews and advice I get from you guys and I try to take it on board. This chapter isn't as long and I'm sorry but I added a quite a bit of Happy into this chapter. I decided to compare Happy to Mira because I'm making them the matchmakers of the story and I thought it would be funny to have them both end their respective chapters with the same lines. For those who read Fighting Spirit I'm sorry I haven't updated that in a while but I should get round to finishing the next chapter too. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy tail it belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

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><p><span>Chapter 5<span>

As the three made their way through the town they could see the warehouses come into view. They could hear shouting and crashing coming from inside as they got closer. Natsu and Lucy exchanged a look as they prepared to head inside. He had asked Happy to wait outside as lookout in case something happened. Natsu, always the one for a dramatic entrance kicked down the doors, getting the attention of the bandits. As the pair stood in the doorway Lucy scanned the room and was shocked to see piles of crates, overflowing with goods. Meanwhile Natsu's attention was focused on the bandits, there were about thirty of them which didn't seem like a lot considering the amount they'd stole and the wizards who'd failed to capture them. _"Let's get this over with."_ Natsu thought as he narrowed his eyes at them.

Without warning Natsu took off, charging at them with suprising speed which caught the bandits off guard. As he started taking out the bandits Lucy reached for her keys only to find they weren't there, neither was her whip. Panicked, she looked around frantically in case she had dropped them, only to find one of the bandits standing a few feet away with a smirk on his face, waving her keys and whip to taunt her. _"When did he take them?" _she thought as she glared at the bandit.

"Give them back." She said through gritted teeth in the most threatening voice she could muster. The bandit just laughed as he tossed them in the air and caught them again. Her eyes widened, her spirits hated it when their keys were tossed around.

"No!" Lucy called out in protest causing Natsu to look over. The bandits were able to gain their bearings and saw this as a chance to take out the fire mage while he was distracted. They tossed a powder on him which made Natsu crumple to the floor.

"What is this?" he asked as he tried to stand up but found his limbs wouldn't move. The bandits laughed as they watched the mage who had already taken out ten of them try to move.

"That powder paralyzes you. And these ropes will keep you from moving when it wears off. As an added bonus the powder negates your magic for 24 hours. How do you like that?" One of the bandits told him as he was being tied up in ropes and the bandits around him laughed. He looked over to find Lucy tied up as well. She was still conscious but had taken quite a beating. Natsu began to wonder how they would escape until he heard the voice of his blue furred partner, seemingly getting closer. Natsu was worried about what they'd do to Happy, he knew full well he couldn't protect the exceed in his current state.

"Natsu, Lucy! Don't worry, I'll save you!" Happy exclaimed holding a twig between his paws and tears streaming down his face. He then flew towards one of the bandits and started wacking him over the head with a twig. The bandit became quickly irritated by this and sent Happy flying into the wall with his fist.

"Isn't that an exceed? They're super rare. I bet we could sell it for big bucks!" One of the other bandits spoke up. The rest murmured in agreement at this as they made their way towards Happy who had been knocked unconscious. Natsu was infuriated by this but couldn't move, no matter how hard he tried.

"No. Stay away from Happy. Touch him and I'll kill you." Natsu heard someone say in a dangerous tone. He looked over to find it was Lucy had said that and had a look on her face that was more terrifying than Erza's as she slowly stood up.

"And what are you going to do about it? You're all tied up and I have these." The bandit who stole Lucy's whip and keys spoke as he held them up again. Lucy lowered her head, her bangs covering her eyes. The bandits laughed, thinking she had given up until they heard a loud snap. Natsu's was shocked to find that Lucy had snapped the ropes and was now charging forward at the bandit who hurt Happy. Lucy aimed a punch at his stomach but the bandit was only just able to block it with his arm. As her fist came into contact with his arm Natsu heard a sickening crunch before the force sent him crashing into the wall. Natsu winced, his arm was definitely broken. He watched in awe as Lucy started taking down the rest of the bandits, giving most of them serious injuries. As she fought them off he didn't notice one of the bandits sneak out of the warehouse.

Just as Lucy had finished he heard the sound of lots of footsteps from outside and could feel the powder wearing off. Suddenly, around fifty bandits entered the warehouse, surrounding Lucy before they all jumped at her."Lucy!" Natsu yelled out in panic worried she'd get hurt, he felt the powder wear off as he snapped the ropes binding him and reached out for her. "I'm too late." Natsu thought, feeling empty as he hung his head, trying to hide his tears. At the sound of confusion coming from the bandits Natsu looked up to see Lucy surrounded by a dazzling light which grew and illuminated the entire warehouse. The brightness forced Natsu to close his eyes.

When he reopened them he was shocked to see all the bandits on the floor unconscious with Lucy lying in the middle. Natsu ran over to the blonde and dropped on his knees. Her eyes were closed. He put his head on her chest, her heartbeat was faint but still there and her breathing was shallow. Natsu felt relieved that she was still alive but he knew she needed medical attention. He picked up Lucy and Happy, who was no longer unconscious and just asleep and took off as fast as he could for Magnolia, he could collect the reward later. "Please be okay Luce."

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><p><strong>Authors note: Hope'd you liked the new chapter, a bit of action in this one. I wanted to show Lucy's protective side of Happy and you see the fight from Natsu's perspective. Sorry for taking ages to update I've had a lot of homework lately. Mostly pretty ironic, using my memory to remember things about memory. Thanks for reading and i really appreciate the reviews, you guys give some great advice! I'll try and post the next chapter as soon as possible. And don't worry, Lucy's not going to die. Just a heads up!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy tail it belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

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><p><span>Chapter 6<span>

"Gramps!" the whole guild turned their heads to see Natsu crash throught the door with a distraught Happy flying beside him. A collective gasp ran through the guild as they noticed their battered celestial mage lying limp in his arms.

"Wendy-"the master began to say but the guilds youngest dragon slayer had already beaten him to it, guiding natsu, who insisted on carrying Lucy, to the infirmary. Once the doors had shut behind them the master turned to Erza with a serious face.

"Erza, I fear Lucy's injuries might be more than Wendy can handle. Please ask Porlyusica for her help." The master asked with a sighed as he looked at the closed infirmary doors. He knew Natsu was even more worried but hoped he could get the dragon slayer to calm down. Something was different about Lucy, he could sense it.

Erza grimaced at having to visit the old lady. The woman hated humans for crying out loud! Last time they payed her a visit she had hit them with a broom. An image of Lucy all battered and bruised reminded Erza that she needed to do this for Lucy's sake. Erza bristled and then promptly walked out of the doors, her sights set on the bringing back the old lady.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary beads of perspiration formed on Wendy's forehead as she continued try and heal Lucy, her wounds were disappearing but she showed no signs of waking up. She quickly wiped her forehead then focused all her attention on healing Lucy. The healing process was putting a strain on her magical energy but the fact that Natsu sat there unmoving while staring at them was more than a bit unsettling.

Wendy turned around when she heard the doors open to find porlyusica walk in, looking typically grumpy. Her expression changed to one of concern when she spotted Lucy, rushing over to her as she pulled out a vial with a turquoise coloured potion. "Her magic is extremely low, however I understand this girl is a celestial mage; summoning spirits shouldn't have this type of effect on her. What happened on your mission?" Porlyusica asked as she carefully gave the potion to her.

Once Natsu had finished telling Porlyusica what happened on the mission there was a silence in the room. "It seems as if your celestial mage was able to release the last of her magic as a compressed burst of energy because of her will to save that cat of yours. I'm surprised. That shouldn't be possible for a holder type wizard. Don't worry though; she'll be fine when she wakes up. The potion I gave her is to restore her magic; it will have some… side effects. Well, I'm done here, I'll inform Makarov." Porlyusica told them but hesitated slightly when telling them about the potions side effects. She quickly whispered something to Wendy that even Natsu couldn't hear before briskly walking out of the infirmary.

"Wait what side effects?" Natsu called after finally regaining the ability to speak. Natsu cursed under his breath as he realised she'd already left. He then turned to Wendy who was staring at the floor, eyes flickering up to Lucy's form as she looked to be sleeping peacefully.

"Wendy, what side effects?" Natsu asked in a low tone and felt a pang of guilt as he saw the little dragon slayer flinch. But could you blame him? He was worried sick about his blonde partner and no one was telling him anything.

"Don't worry Natsu. Lucy won't be in pain or anything she'll just be acting a bit… goofy." Wendy reassured him trying to find the right words to describe how Lucy's attitude would be when she woke up.

"Goofy?" Natsu questioned. Well, it was pretty vague. Seeing his confusion Wendy tried to think of a better comparison.

"Well it will Kind of be like when she's drunk I guess." Wendy said sheepishly, reminded of the time when she got drunk. She decided she didn't like alcohol much, it made her really dizzy.

While Wendy replayed that night so did Natsu. "A drunk Lucy! How the hell am I supposed to deal with a drunk Lucy!?" Natsu screamed in his head. Lucy got really weird when she was drunk and she became more sensitive. He remembered the twang of guilt that hit him when she became really upset. How was he supposed to know she'd made that egg roll especially for him? His guilt then faded away as he remembered her climbing on to his back and a blush crept on to his face. Even though she smelled like sake at the time; the way she cuddled into his back and her hot breath against his neck made his stomach do flips and made him feel hot. This was unnatural for him because he was usually unaffected by the temperature but he couldn't help but miss the warmth Lucy gave him.

Natsu had been sitting in the infirmary ever since. Wendy had left a little while ago; she was pretty tired from using her healing magic for such a long amount of time. Natsu heard some bed sheets move and he watched as Lucy was starting wake up. He had completely forgotten about the side effects of the potion until he noticed Lucy's face was flushed and she wore an enormous grin. "Natsuuu~" Lucy called while giggling. "Oh crap!" Natsu thought, "Not again!"

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><p><strong>Author's note: I'm really sorry about taking ages to update but i've been doing a lot of revision for my exams. Lame excuse i know. I just haven't been able to think about what i was going to do with this chapter. All i knew was that i wanted Porlyusica in it because, you know, why not? You guys wanted to know what that bright light was so there you go. If i didn't explain it clear enough in the chapter then basically its like the light that surrounded Lucy when she called her spirits to save Loke but instead of summoning spirits the force of her magic power being released at one knocks people unconscious and drains all of her energy, leaving her unconscious as well. I decided that it would be fun to stick a drunk Lucy chapter in this fanfic so that will be the focus of the next chapter. I've drawn a total blank on what to write for the next chapter of fighting spirit so it may take a while before i write the next chapter for that one. If there's any ideas you have for one shots you'd like me to do just message me or leave it in the reviews. Sorry for the incredibly long author's note, but as always, thanks for your support and i appreciate the follows, reviews and favorites you guys give me. I'll try to get the next chapter done sooner. Thanks for reading! <strong>


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